The Devil Who Claimed Me

Ethan opened his mouth, but Mila didn’t give him the time to speak.

"I never saw you that disturbed for me. I longed for your presence, but you never gave me your time. I am already done waiting for you."

With that, she felt a strange power within her. She didn’t feel shattered. She felt clear.

This time, she had chosen herself, not clinging to the love that was never meant to be hers.

Ethan stared at her, then gave a faint smirk. "So you are jealous of her. Is that what this is about?"

The tension on his shoulders eased. He thought he had found the answer. "Nothing is going on between Bianca and me. You are the only woman in my heart, the one I want to marry. I helped Bianca because..."

"You think this is about jealousy," Mila cut in sharply. The way he confidently lied amazed her, but not in a pleasing way. "I don’t care who you are with. You can be with Bianca or anyone you want. It doesn’t bother me anymore."

That unsettled him. His features stiffened. "I have been patient. I thought you’d calm down and come back. But you are being stubborn."

Irritation was evident in his voice. "If you don’t come back to me and agree to marry me, I’ll end the collaboration with the Vega Biocorp."

Mila blinked. She wanted to laugh. This was the least she would care because she knew he would never do that. He would never let Bianca suffer.

"Go ahead. Do whatever you want," she said coolly.

Her unbothered expression caught him off guard. "You don’t care about your family?"

Family

Her eyes turned cold at that word. "That family was never mine. They never cared about me. You know how Camilla and Bianca treated me. They bullied me, framed me. And my father..."

She paused, a stony look spreading across her face. "He stopped being my father the day he brought Camilla and Bianca home. Even if they are thrown onto the street, I won’t glance at them."

She stood up. "I’m done living in illusion."

She turned around, ready to leave.

Ethan’s composure cracked. "Your belongings are still at my place," he blurted. "Come with me."

She looked at him one last time. "Throw them away."

She walked out.

Ethan’s fingers curled tightly. For the first time, he realized he had lost control over her, and it unsettled him.

"No way...I won’t let you leave me."

~~~~~~~~~~~~

After an hour-long surgery, Mila finally came out of the operating room. She met the patient’s family.

"The surgery went well," she announced with a smile. "Your daughter is stable."

The family members let out collective sighs in relief and thanked her.

Mila offered one last smile to them before heading to her office. Once inside, she washed her hands and sagged onto the chair.

Julie appeared, grinning. "Congratulations on another successful surgery."

"Thanks, Julie." Mila sagged onto the chair and took her phone from the drawer.

There were a few messages from Ethan and a call from her father. She ignored them. Then she saw a message from ’Big Guy.’

She quickly opened it. ’Are you coming home early? Or will you be late tonight?’

A faint smile appeared on her lips. ’Is he missing me?’ she thought.

She was about to type an answer when Julie placed a file on the table.

"This is tomorrow’s schedule. The morning’s surgery has been rescheduled. The patient’s blood pressure spiked. Not fit for the surgery."

"That patient with 90% heart blockage?" Mila glanced up from her phone.

"Yes," Julie confirmed.

Mila looked displeased. "He needs the surgery."

"We are trying to bring his blood pressure down."

Mila returned her focus to her phone. "Okay. Since there is no surgery in the morning, move the OT patients to the afternoon session."

She thought she would take Big Guy out for shopping and have a proper meal with him.

’He might have been bored staying alone at home,’ she said to herself.

"Alright. I’ll do that."

In the meantime, Mila’s phone vibrated in her hand. When she saw her best friend’s name on the screen, a smile flashed on her face involuntarily.

She waved her hand dismissively, signaling Julie to leave.

Julie silently went out.

Mila answered the call the moment the door closed. "Hello, Lara. You finally have time to call me?" She pretended to be irritated, but she couldn’t stop her lips from quirking.

"I called you the moment I landed," Lara’s voice burst through the speaker, full of energy. "You are meeting me tonight. No excuses. I’ve been away for two weeks, and you owe me a drink."

Mila laughed. She needed this break desperately. Her duty was already over. She could leave now.

"Alright. Let’s meet."

"Come to the Oasis bar. I’ll be waiting for you."

Before leaving, Mila sent a reply to Dominic. ’I won’t be home until late. Don’t wait for me. Eat and sleep.’

An hour later, they were seated at the dimly lit bar downtown, music humming in the background.

Their cocktails arrived soon.

Lara took her glass and started excitedly, "Do you know the latest buzz of the city?"

Mila took a sip of her drink. "You know how things are at the hospital. I barely have time to read those glossy entertainment magazines."

She thought as a paparazzi, Lara was talking about some gossip in the entertainment industry.

"No, no, it’s not about those film actors," Lara corrected her. She looked around before she leaned toward her and said in a hushed tone, "The news is – the mafia king is dead."

Mila blinked, then narrowed her eyes. "What?"

"The Devil, the infamous one. He was assassinated," Lara revealed, seemingly vibrating with excitement. "I’ve been tracking his story for months. He was mysterious, ruthless, and controlled half the underground network in the nation. It’s a shame that he is no more."

She shrugged as she sipped her drink. "Rumors said internal conflicts killed him. And someone has already taken his position. Isn’t it insane?"

Mila stirred her drink lazily, unimpressed. "If someone lives by crime, their downfall is inevitable. It’s only a matter of time."

Lara frowned slightly. "Don’t you feel pity for him? No one deserved that."

"Don’t dig too deep into that story," Mila cautioned her. "Powerful people like them don’t like curious journalists."

"You are not fun tonight, way too serious." Sensing Mila wasn’t interested in speaking about the mafia king, Lara changed the topic. "Tell me about yourself. When are you marrying Ethan?"

At the mention of his name, Mila’s finger tightened around the glass. She lifted it and drank the remaining cocktail in one go. Slamming the glass down, she demanded the bartender, "Fill the glass."

Lara’s expression changed. Worry clouded her eyes as she noticed Mila’s flustered look. "Mila, are you okay?"

"We broke up."

"What? Broke up?" Lara exclaimed, stunned.

"He cheated on me. With Bianca." The words tasted bitter in her mouth. For the first time, Mila didn’t hold back her tears as she explained what she had heard that night.

"I loved him like an idiot. I trusted him. I gave him everything."

Despite the aching crack in her heart, Mila smiled a little. "He never loved me. He only used me and planned to dump me once his purpose was served.

Lara slammed her hand on the table. "That bustard," she muttered. "He is an asshole. It’s good that you ended things with him. A cheater like him doesn’t stand a chance with you. You deserve better. You will find someone who actually sees you."

Image of Dominic’s attractive figure rushed back into her mind. Mila smiled faintly. "Maybe I already did."

This memory of their shared kiss and then her dream last night sent heat throughout her body. To hide the blush creeping up her face, she took the glass that had been filled again and gulped down the drink.

Lara’s mouth hung open in surprise. "Oh? You already found someone?" A wide grin surfaced. "Who is he? A doctor? An industrialist?"